Essay
Criminology Unit 3 AC1
- Module
- Unit 3 AC1
- Institution
- WJEC
Criminology Unit 3 AC1 Including AC1.1, AC1.2, AC1.3, and AC1.4
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AC1.1 Evaluate the effectiveness of the roles of personnel involved in criminalinvestigations
Crime Scene Investigators
Brief description of role - Protect the crime scene and collect evidence.
- Ensure evidence isn’t contaminated (or inadmissible in
court).
- Collect trace evidence, fibres, and fingerprints…
- Take charge.
- Photographing.
- Recovering evidence.
- Packing and storing material recovered.
- Attending post-mortem exams.
- Advising the police.
- Giving evidence in court.
Cost - Starting salaries for CSI is between £16,000 and £24,000.
- Experienced CSI managers can earn between £24,000 and
£35,000.
- Budget spending on CSI has halved since 2008 from £120m
down to around £50m.
Availability - Available 24/7
- Golden hour
- Prevent contamination
Expertise - Specialist areas -> crime scene photography.
- Science background, usually a degree.
- Trained in blood spatter analysis.
- Specialist training.
Other strengths - Evidence they gather may conclusively link to crime and
victim.
- Evidence can also prove innocence.
- Highly trained and skilled, so more likely to be correct.
Other weaknesses - Work requires specialist skills, patience, meticulousness and
attention to detail.
- Failure to record and collect evidence correctly can lead to
no arrests or wrongful convictions. Meredith Kercher.
- Put their health and safety at risk, e.g. body fluids, chemicals
etc.
- Work may be stressful and emotionally damaging.
- Expensive for the taxpayer.
, AC1.1 Evaluate the effectiveness of the roles of personnel involved in criminal
investigations
Forensic Scientist
Brief description of role - Work in the lab, do not attend crime scenes.
- Aim to provide impartial evidence to be used in court.
- Involved in ballistics.
- Main areas:
- Chemistry/ property crimes.
- Biology/ crime against people, murder, assault.
- Analyse and interpret evidence.
- Practise a report of their findings and interpretations for the
court.
Cost - Start at around £64,000.
- Over £300 for a simple court-approved DNA test.
Availability - Estimated 3,400 in the UK.
- 37-hour weeks.
- Not always readily available.
- Some employers operate on call.
- Can be longer hours during high-profile cases.
- Monday-Friday.
Expertise - Generally specialise in particular areas: DNA analysis,
analysis of fires, toxicology (Orville Lynn Majors),
computing (Larry J Thomas), psychology, forensic
anthropology, and dentistry (Ted Bundy).
- Degree in a scientific subject.
Other strengths - The special expertise of forensic scientists may be able to
identify and interpret evidence that proves a suspect’s guilt
or innocence.
- Their expertise may be essential in complex cases where
the criminal also has specialist knowledge or skills.
- Criminal investigations are increasingly reliant on science to
solve the crime as people lose faith in the police.
- Cold cases can now be solved and brought to justice e.g.
Colette Aram.
Other weaknesses - Forensic scientists are highly qualified and their services are
expensive.
- Contamination of evidence can occur when it’s being
examined. (Adam Scott).
- Forensic experts may disagree. For example, experts called
by the defence may contradict those called by the
prosecution.
- The court lacks specialist knowledge and may be
unable to evaluate which state is right.
- If an expert deliberately or accidentally misleads the courts,
this can result in a miscarriage of justice e.g. Sally Clark.
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